The Bourach Swamps
In the Roof Over Head, our party takes a well deserved few days of rest to recuperate after the events of the inauguration, while getting to know some of their new acquaintances. Kodachi’s uncle Hattori, master of the Kumotomi scissor-style, catches up with his nephew and informs him of a possible opportunity. Much of the Kumotomi assets were confiscated by the crown and are kept in a warehouse in the city. Lynette Karn, the disgraced noblewoman, is seeking to raise a strong enough force to take her castle and her fortunes back from the rival family that framed her. Brother Milo elaborates on the message he received from the Divine Scribe, and that the key to finding out more is to translate the scrap of tapestry. He tells them that in the Bourach Swamps, south of Braidfen, an old friend of his named Dermot lives in a stone tower. If they show Dermot the amulet of the Watcher and say Milo sent them, he will help them translate the old language. The party resupplies, and still wanted for their activities during the inauguration, don disguises before making their way out of the city. With only minor trouble from trapped stashes, curious lions, jilted rival nobles, and city guard checkpoints, they leave their familiar home of Carrick Mor and make their first steps into the world beyond. Denton, forced to break his vow of truth to bypass the checkpoint, sees a murmuration in the distance. A message from the Starling God; a grim portent of disaster on the road ahead… I n the murky, boggy Bourach Swamps, the party trudges through the muck. Grub is able to find them safer passage, but Liam, seeing a body floating in the water, falls for the trap of a tribe of bullywug frogmen who make the swamp their home. Angered by the intrusion into their ancient birthing ground, they demand the party leave. Grub, who can speak their staccato, croaky language, defuses the situation and tries to negotiate with the bullywug chief. The chief makes a proposition: if the party helps the bullywug defeat a crocodilian tribe that threatens their territory, they’ll happily welcome the party into their swamp and lead them to the stone tower. However, startled by a curious bullywug that suddenly appears in the water beside him, Kodachi instinctively attacks and battle breaks out. The chief uses his shamanistic magics to fire bolts of water, while the other bullywug use their primitive spears and clubs to attack. The party overpowers the little frogmen with deft dagger throws (and less-deft accidental dagger stabbings) and brutal punches (and brutal shoe tosses). As the frog chief retreats, he curses the party and declares that the ‘Beast’ will punish them for their transgression and they won’t leave this swamp alive. Grub, in crocodile form, grabs the chief before he can escape and forces the location of the tower out of his slimy mouth before tossing him aside into the water. Finally, the party arrives at their destination. Dismay falls onto their faces as they see the tower all but submerged into the swamp… 'Next session: 'The Sunken Tower Category:Weaver Category:Session Summary